California’s Mountain Fire’s Cause Determined

The Mountain Fire, which burned more than 27,000 acres in Southern California and forced the closure of several campgrounds, was caused by an electrical equipment failure on private property.

The equipment failure happened “on the customer side of the meter,” according to a written statement from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, which added that no more information would be released because the investigation was continuing, the Village News, Fallbrook, reported.

Command of the blaze was handed over to local personnel Thursday (July 25), and full containment is expected today, the U.S. Forest Service said.

The blaze was 92% contained on Thursday, having scorched more than 27,500 acres of the San Bernardino National Forest since breaking out near Idyllwild 10 days ago. A U.S. Forest Service statement said the cost of fighting the fire had risen to $25.2 million.

The fire’s acreage has changed little since Sunday, thanks to rain from thunderstorms over last weekend and earlier this week.

The number of fire personnel assigned to the blaze continues to be reduced, with 146 remaining. The fire, which has been under the unified command of the Forest Service and Cal Fire, was turned over to a San Bernardino National Forest local team, officials said today.

The blaze has claimed 23 structures, including seven homes, but no major injuries have been reported.

The fire is believed to have started around 1:45 p.m. on July 15 near the junction of Highways 243 and 74. The 23 structures swallowed by the blaze were all destroyed on the first day of the fire.

Evacuations that affected as many as 6,000 people were lifted on Sunday. The nearby Mount San Jacinto State Park and Wilderness Area, several campgrounds, Humber Park and Pacific Crest Trail and its connecting trails remain closed.